Signaling device for elevators.



H. L. KILBOURNE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1912. Patented May18,'1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- IOHIOG THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHO.. wAsH/NGMN,z) c.

H. L. KILBOURNE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1912.

1,140,1 65. Patented May 18, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

qx btweooco THE NoRRls PETERS 60., PHOTO-LlTHO-. WASHING TON, D. I:

H. L. KILBOURNE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION'FILED JULY 2. 1912.

1,140,165. Pdtent-ed May 18, 1915.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

l avwewtoz hourne THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOT0-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. 4

H. L. KILBOURNE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1912.

Patented May 18,1915.

awe/whoa CI'F.LWOUPHQ q/ htmaooea PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON D. c.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO4,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT L. KILBOURNE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

Application filed July 2, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. KIL- BOURNE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSignaling Devices for Elevators; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in signaling devicesfor elevators- The object of my invention is to provide signalingmechanism whereby a prospective passenger may signal to an elevatortraveling in the direction in which he desires to go.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby thesignaling mechanism, after being set by the prospective passenger, willbe automatically returned to normal position by the elevator receivingthe signal.

My invention may be installed upon one or more elevators and, when usedupon a plurality of elevators, the operator in one elevator may transferthe signal to one of the other elevators traveling in the samedirection.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparentin the specifications and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of 'myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the signalcontrolling device employed by me. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through parts of the travelingcontactor, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4, Fig. 4: is a transversesectional view therethrough, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal sectional view through electromagnetical set and mechanicalreset switches employed in the signal controller. Fig. 6 is a verticalsectional view through one end of the casing of said switch showingparts of the operating mechanism, turned at 90 degrees to that shown inFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a like vertical sectional view therethrough, showingpart of the switch mechanism, as

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Serial No. 707,236.

taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5, and, Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view,showing the circuit arrangements of the diiferent parts of my invention.

In the specifications the drawings are referred to by characters ofreference, the same characters referring to corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

In embodying my invention in practice, I provide a framework 9 for thecontroller on my device, the supporting frame for which is preferablyformed of angle-iron and is adapted to support a panel 10, which isformed of any preferred insulating material.

In the drawings I have shown the controller provided with controllingdevices for two elevators and in the following specifications I havedescribed the invention be ing used with two elevators, although Idesire it to be understood that the same may be arranged to be used withany desired number.

Secured to the panel is a central track- Way 11 and side trackways 12,which are adapted to guide the movable contactors 13 and 11. Saidcontactors are adapted to be moved over said trackways by means ofchains 15 and 16, respectively, which are geared to the driving shaft ofthe respective elevator motors, suitable reducing gears 17 and 18,respectively, being interposed so that the contactors will move from endto end of the trackways in synchronism with their elevators.

Pivotally mounted in standards 19, arranged at the upper end of thecasing of the contactors 13 and 14, is a brush holder 20. The brushholder 20 is preferably formed of insulating material and has waystherein to receive brushes 21, 22 and 23 which extend through an opening24 in the rear side of the contactor casing and are adapted to engagestationary contacts hereinafter more clearly described. 1

An arm 25 is rigidly secured to the brus holder and extends downwardlytherefrom and carries a movable contact 26 at its lower end, which isadapted to alternately engage stationary contacts 27 and 28 arranged inthe lower end of the casing. Electromagnets 29 and 30 are secured in thecasings of the movable contactors and each of said magnets is providedwith an armature 31 at its lower ends, which are pivoted in standardsformed integrally with or secured to the casing. Each of said magnets isalso provided with an armature 33, which is pivotally secured to thecasing adjacent the upper end of said magnet.

A spring 3-1 is secured to each of the armatures and is adapted tonormally hold said armatures out of engagement with the pole pieces oftheir magnets. The armature 31 has an upwardly extending portion 35, towhich is bolted or otherwise secured an arm 36, which is preferablyformed of nOnmagnetic material. Each of the arms 36 has a roller 37journaled in brackets 38 formed near its upper end and said rollers areadapted to extend. through openings 39 formed in the forward side of thecasing of the movable contactors when the electromagnet is energized,for a purpose hereinafter made clearly apparent.

The brush 21 of the movable contactor 13 is adapted to engage stationarycontacts &0, l1, 4:2 and 43 arranged in series upon the panel 10 and thebrush 23 of said movable contactor is adapted to engage stationarycontacts 4: 15, 416 and 47 arranged in series upon said panel andparallel to the contacts 10 to 43, inclusive. The middle brush 22 ofsaid contactor is adapted to engage a single contact 13 arranged betweensaid sets of contacts and extending from end to end thereof. In likemanner the brushes 21, 22 and 23 of the movable contactor 14 engageseries of contacts 10 1 412, 13 .1 1, 15, 416 and 17 and a singlecontact 18, respectively.

As shown in the drawings my system is applied to use upon two elevators,which are designed to travel between the floors of a building havingfive floors.

In the system as described, I mount three switch boxes 4-9, 50 and 51upon the panel 10, the box -19 being arranged opposite the adjacent endsof the contacts -10, 11, d0, 1 1 and 4:1, 4:5, 11" and the boxes and 51being arranged opposite the adjacent ends of the other sets of contacts,as indicated in Fig. 1. Each of said boxes has journaled in the sidewalls, thereof shafts 52 and 53. Said shafts are also journaled in acentral partition 54c in said box and are extended beyond one side ofsaid boxes and journaled in the trackways 11 and 12. The shaft 52 has alatch rigidly secured thereto, which is to be normally engaged by thelug 55 formed upon one side of armature 56, said armature being normallyheld away from its operating magnet 57 by means of a spring 58, asclearly indicated in Fig. 6. A spring 59 has one end secured to theshaft and its opposite end to one side of the casing and tends to turnsaid shaft so that the latch 54 will occupy the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 6, said latch when in inoperative position being turned tothe position indicated in dotted lines in a manner hereinafter clearlyset forth. The shaft is likewise provided with a latch 59, which isadapted to be engaged by the lug 60 of the armature 61, which isnormally held in off position by means of the spring (52 The armature(31 is adapted to be operated by the electromagnet 62, a pair ofelectro-magnets 57 and 62 being rigidly secured in each of the boxes 19,50 and 51. The shaft also has rigidly secured thereto an arm (33 andsaid arm has a pin 61 extending laterally thereof, to which is securedone end of a coil spring 65, the other end of said coil spring beingconnected to a laterally extending pin 66 secured to an arm (37. The arm67 is rigidly secured to a shaft 68 journaled in the partition 5 1 Theopposite end of said shaft has rigidly secured thereto an arm (39, whichcarries at its end the contact blade 70, which is adapted in oneposition of the arm (59 to engage stationary contacts 71 secured to aportion of the box.

The shaft has an arm 72 secured there to which is similar to the arm (33and said arm 72 is connected to a switch arm 73 in a manner similar tothe connection between the switch arm (33 and the arm 72. The switch 73is adapted in one position to complete the circuit between thestationary contacts 7 1. The switch arms (33 and 72 are adapted to berocked by the shafts 52 and 53 respectively so that their ends will movepast the pivotal point of the switch arms 69 and 73, respectively, andthe springs connecting said arms and switch arms will cause the switcharms to quickly make and break the circuit between the stationarycontacts 71 and M, respectively.

Each of the shafts 52 of the switch boxes 4:9, 50 and 51 has an arm 75secured thereto. which in its normal position. occupies the positionshown by dotted lines in 3 and, when released, the position shown byfull lines. Each of the shafts 53 likewise carries an arm 76, the normaland released positions of said arm being shown by dotted and full lines,respectively. When the arms 75 and 76 are in the positions shown by fulllines, they are in the path of the rollers 37 when said rollers are intheir tended position.

In Fig. 8, I have shown diagrammatically the employment of my invention.in connection with two elevators, which are adapted to travel betweenfive floors in a building. The elevator A and its movable contactor 13are adapted to control a set of lights a, one light being arranged uponthe first and fifth floors above the hatchway door and two lights uponeach of the intermediate floors, while the elevator B and its contactor1 1 are adapted to control a set of lamps b, similarly arranged abovethe hatchway doors of the B elevator.

The operation of the different parts of my invention will now bedescribed:

We will assume that the elevators are operated from end to end of theirshafts and that a party upon the fourth floor desires to descend. Asindicated diagrammatically in Fig. 8, the second,third and fourth floorsare provided with two-way switches 77, said switches being thrown totheir up position when the person desires to give a signal indicatinghis desire to go to a higher floor and being thrown to lower positionwhen the party desires to descend. The party upon the fourth floorthrows the switch 77 011 that floor to its lower position to indicatethat he desires to descend, thus completing a circuit from the positiveside of the circuit by conductor 78, through the magnet 62 in switch box6 .9, by conductor 79 through switch 77 and by conductor 30 to thenegative side of the line. The magnet 62 upon the fourth floor willtherefore be energized and will attract its armature 61, thusdisengaging the lug from the latch 59 and permitting the spring 59 ofthe shaft 53 to throw said latch in the position indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 6. The arm 76 upon the shaft 53 will also be turned intothe position indicated by full lines in Fig. 3. It will also beunderstood that this movement of the shaft 53 will move the arm 72 intoposition indicated in full lines in Fig. 7 and the movement of said armwill cause the switch 73 to close the stationary contact 74:. Theclosing of the contact 74 will complete the circuit from the positiveside of the line to the contacts 44 and 44* by conductor 81, acrosscontact 7 4; by conductor 82 to the lamp, to and through the down lampsof the series a and Z) and by conductors S3 and 84 to the stationarycontacts 44 and H. The lamp circuit will remain open at this point untilclosed by the sliding contactor operatively connected to one of theelevators. vator A is operated so as to travel to its upper limit oftravel and it will be understood that when the said car starts upwardly,that the sliding contactor 13 will also start upwardly and the movablecontact 26 bearing upon the stationary contact 28 will close the circuitabove set forth. There is a connection from the negative side of theline by conductor 85, through the light 86 in the elevator A, switch 87,conductor 88 to the stationary contact L8, where the circuit will beopen. Continuing the operation as heretofore outlined the elevator willmove to its upper limit of travel without receiving a signal. The brush23 is connected to the stationary contact 27 the coil of the magnet 30being interposed between said brush and the stationary contact, whilethe coil 29 We will presume that the eleis interposed between the brush21 and the stationary contact 28. The movable contact 26 is connected tothe brush 22.

As the direction of travel of the elevator is reversed after reachingthe fifth floor, the brushes 21, 22 and 23 through their frictionalbearing upon their stationary contacts will cause the brush holder 25 torock on its pivots and to throw the movable contact 26 into engagementwith stationary contact 27, thus completing the circuit from thepositive side of the line by the conductor 81, across contact 74,conductor 82, fourth floor, down lamp of the series a, conductor 83,stationary contact 44, brush 23, magnet 30, stationary contact 27,movable contact 26, brush 22, stationary contact 48, conductor 88,switch 87, (A) elevator lamp 86, conductor 85 to the negative side ofthe line. The lower or down lamp of the A series of lamps located abovethe hatchway door on the fourth floor of the A elevator will be lightedand it will also be seen that the light 86 in the A elevator will belighted, thus giving a signal to the operator that the elevator shouldbe stopped at the neXt lower floor. The completion of the circuitthrough the magnet 30 will cause said magnet to move the armature 31 androck the arm 36 outward and, when released, the armature 33, overcomesthe tension of the spring 34 and drops down in the path of the end ofthe arm 36, thus locking the roller 37 in its outward position in thepath of the arm 76. When the elevator reaches the fourth floor, theroller 37 is adapted to engage the arm 76 and to move said arm againstthe tension of said spring 59 to its normal position, thus causing theswitch 73 to break the circuit between the contact 74 so that the lampcircuit will be broken. The latch 59 will also be engaged bythe lug 60and held in such position until another signal is given. The breaking ofthe circuit by the contact 74 will also open the circuit in the magnet30 and the armature 33 will immediately be returned to initial positionby the spring 34 and the armature 31 and its arm 36 will also assumetheir initial positions, as indicated in Fig. 3, and move the roller outof the.

path of the arm 76. Should both elevators have reached the fifth floorat the same time and it be desired that the A elevator travel to thelower limit of its shaft without receiving the signal at the fourthfloor, it would only be necessary for the operator to open the switch 87in his elevator and to operate his car past said floor. The B elevatorwhen descending would receive the signal through its down lamp andthrough the lamp in the manner hereinafter described the circuit beingas hereinbefore traced to the down lamp in the 6 set of lamps, by theconductor 84 and the stationary contact 44, by the brush 23, magnet 30,

stationary contact 27, movable contact 26, brush 22 (in the movablecontactor 14E), stationary contact 48, through the switch and lamp inelevator B and by conductor 85 to the negative side of the line.

The lamps upon the first and fifth floors are connected to thestationary contacts l8l3"- and et04:0 and to the positive side of theline so that when the elevators are traveling downward from the secondto the first floors and upward from the fourth to the fifth floors, thelights will be lighted. Upon the reversal of the direction of travel ofthe elevators, the circuit of said lamps will be broken as the movablecontact 26 will be reversed, as hereinbefore described.

Again, we will assume that a party upon the fourth floor desires toascend, therefore he throws the switch 77 on that floor to its upperposition, thus completing a circuit from the positive side of the lineby con- (luctor 78, through the magnet 57 in the switch box 1-9,conductor 90, switch 77, conductor S0 to the negative side of the line.The magnet 57 in the box a9 will thus be energized and will attract itsarmature 56, thus disengaging the lug from the latch 54: and permittingthe spring 59 of the shaft 52 to throw said latch to the positionindicated in full lines in Fig. 6. The arm will also be turned to theposition indicated in full lines in Fig. 3. It will be understood thatthis movement of the shaft 52 will move the arm G3 so as to cause theswitch (39 to close the stationary contact 70. The closure of thecontact 70 will complete a circuit from the positive side of the line tothe contacts 10 and elO through the con (luctor 81, contact 70,conductor 91, up lamps of the lth floor of the series a and b, andconductor 92 and 93 to the stationary contacts +20 and a0". We willpresume that the elevator A travels upwardly carrying the slidingcontactor 13 with it, and rocking the brush holder 20 and arm 25 so asto electrically connect the brush 21 and magnet 29 with the stationarycontact 28 and brush 22. As the sliding contactor 13 ascends and thebrush 21 engages the stationary contact 40 a circuit is completed fromthe positive side of the line by conductor 81, contact 70, conductor 91,fourth floor, up lamp of the a series, conductor 92, stationary contact10, brush 21, magnet 29, stationary contact 28, movable contact 26,brush 2'2, stationary contact 1S, conductor 88, switch S7, elevator lamp8G, conductor to the negative side of the line. The light in theelevator A will then be lighted as it approaches the fourth floor,signaling to the operator that his elevator should be stopped at thenext floor. The completion of the circuit through the magnet 29 willcause the latter to attract the armature 33. Thus the roller 37 will bemoved into the path of arm 75, and in passing will rock said arm,together with the shaft 52 and switch 69, so as to break the circuit atthe contact 70 and permit the mechanism to assume its normal position,as before described.

The operation of the signals from the different floors will be the sameas that described for the fourth floor.

lVhat I claim as new is:

1. An electric signaling device for elevators comprising; a plurality offloor signals, a positive and a negative side circuit connected to saidfioor signals, to signal up or down upon a floor of a building, aplurality of car signals, a circuit connected to said car signals tosignal in synchronism with the first mentioned circuit within the car ofan elevator, a plurality of switch boxes to close either the positive orthe negative side of said first mentioned circuit, each box registeringwith a signal upon a floor, and means in said circuitto close said firstcircuit in synehronism with said second mentioned circuit, and toactuate said switchboxes, said means consisting of a movable casing,pivoted brush contacts mounted in said casing, a movable contactattached to said brush contacts to close the positive or the negativeside of said second mentioned circuit, and a plurality of means mountedin said casing to project through said casing and actuated alternatelyfrom the positive side or from the negative side of said secondmentioned circuit to actuate said switchboxes to close the positive sideor the negative side of the first mentioned circuit in synchronism withthe second mentioned circuit.

2. An electric signaling device for elevators comprising; a plurality offloor signals, a floor signaling circuit connected to said floorsignals, a plurality of elevator signals, an elevator signaling circuitconnected to said elevator signals, each of said circuits having apositive and a negative side, movable means in said second mentionedcircuit to close either the positive or negative side, and means withinsaid first mentioned circuit and actuated by said first mentioned meansto close the positive or negative side of said first mentioned circuitin synchronism with the side of said second mentioned circuit, said lastmentioned means consisting of a two-chambered switchbox, a magneticactuated contact means in one chamber to close the positive side of saidfirst mentioned circuit, a magnetic actuated contact means in saidsecond chamber to close the negative side of said first mentionedcircuit,means actuated by said afore mentioned movable means to actuatesaid first mentioned contact means to close the positive site and meansactuated by the afore mentioned movable means to actuate said secondmentioned contact means to close the negative side of said firstmentioned circuit.

3. An electric signaling device for elevators comprising; a plurality ofsignals, two circuits connected to said signals each having a positiveand a negative side, one to signal from a floor of a building and theother to signal from the car of an elevator, movable means in saidsecond circuit to close either side, and means in said first circuitactuated by said movable means to close either side of the first circuitin synchronism with the side of the second circuit consisting of apartitioned switchbox, contact means in one side of said partition toclose the positive side of the first circuit, operating means thereto,means to actuate said operating means, and like devices on the oppositeside of the partition to close the negative side of the first circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT L. KILBOURNE.

Witnesses:

R. S. POLK, F. B. SWIFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01' Patents, Washington, I). C.

